Escaping Mystic Falls
by Patch Cipriano's Angel
Summary: "Going somewhere?" Kal said, amused. "I'm just -" Elena began, trailing off before looking away, muttering, "I just need to get away." "Get away?" Kal inquired, prompting her to continue, "Yeah. I need to get away. I mean, there's really nothing left for me here. My family's gone." Kal's oceanic globes lit up as he tilted his head slightly, "Then come with me."


**A/N: I **_**know**_** my other story seemed rushed. It's because it was. I was tired. Sick. And running out of ideas. So I wrote out the story quickly and then posted it. But now, I'm taking the time to write it as it should've been written. Okay?**

_I've been searching deep down in my soul._

_Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old._

_It feels like I'm starting all over again._

_The last three years were just pretend._

_And I said, goodbye to you._

_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew._

_You were the one I loved._

_The one thing that I tried to hold on to._

_Goodbye to You – Michelle Branch_

Elena Gilbert dropped her bag into a seat before collapsing into one at an empty table in the Mystic Grill. She expelled a low sigh, exhausted. She pried her textbook and notebook from her bag.

She placed them both on the table and picked up her pencil. She'd just begun writing her essay when a shadow fell over her. She looked up, blinking slightly as she searched for the source of the sudden obscurity.

Her amber optics fell on someone in a black leather jacket. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out a mop of unruly, black hair. _Damon?_ She thought, dazed. Before she realized the guy standing before her was taller than Damon.

Flames burned in her cheeks, causing red spots to emerge. She blinked at him, taking in his handsome, chiseled features. His aquatic oculars sparkled with amusement, arrogance and danger.

Elena's tongue rolled over her lips, remoistening them before she said in faltering tones, "Can I help… you?" The stranger leaned against her table casually, saying, "Yeah. I need a guide. Someone to show me around town, so to speak."

He spoke in such a way that his words sounded seductive and threatening at the same time. Elena's ochre optics dropped to his lips for a moment, before she shook herself and gestured to her homework, stammering; "Sorry. I have studying to do."

The guy only rolled his eyes, pushing away from the table. "Alright. When you're done visiting Snoresville, let me know." Elena blinked, abashed, as her cheeks flamed.

She sputtered, aghast, before saying breathlessly, "Wait. What's your name?" The stranger turned to face her, before saying indifferently, "Kal." With that, he turned and walked out. Elena slumped in her chair with a sigh, frowning as she twirled her pencil between her fingers.

Kal wandered down the street, glancing around as he twirled the class ring on his finger absentmindedly. He halted as he bumped into what felt like a small wall. He looked around before lowering his gaze.

A man, with a shock of black hair and pale features, and cold grey-blue eyes stood before him. "Stay away from her," The man said in arctic tones. Kal's brows shot towards his hair line as he said, chortling, "Excuse me?" "The girl, Elena, stay away from her."

Kal burst out laughing, shaking his head before saying casually, "I'll do what I want. And you can go to hell." He stepped around the man and was impeded by his arm. "I mean it." The older man said in dangerous tones.

Kal brushed the man's arm away easily before leaning towards him, saying in equally dangerous tones, "And so am I. I think you want to get out of my face now." Kal shoved past him, walking down the street, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension.

"What're you doing?" Caroline chirruped sliding into the seat across from Elena. "Um, just doing my homework." Elena replied, in halting tones, still shaken from her encounter with Kal. "You okay?" Caroline said, mirth leaving her voice and expression.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Elena replied quickly, raising her eyes to the door as Damon walked in. She ducked her head quickly, sighing lowly. "What's going on?" Caroline asked, panic rising in her voice.

"Damon's here," Elena breathed, rolling her eyes at Caroline before slipping off the seat, picking up her books, shoving them into her bag. "Just…" Elena began, "As far as you're concerned, I left hours ago. And you don't know where I went, okay?"

Caroline nodded, perplexed. Elena slunk off, hurrying around the room before slipping out the door as Damon made his way towards Caroline. "Where's Elena?" He asked, his timbre demanding. "You missed her," Caroline said deadpan.

"She left hours ago. And didn't say where she was going." Damon sighed heavily, shaking his head before saying, frostily, "I saw her here earlier. You're lying to me. Where did she go?" "I'm telling the truth, Damon. She left and didn't tell me where she was going."

Damon threw his hands into the air, shaking his head, "We should've just LoJacked her, like I suggested." Elena scurried down the street, looking around, clutching her bag to her chest. Her nerves were taut. She kept expecting Damon to pull his famous appearing-out-of-nowhere act. But he didn't.

"_Oof,_" Elena grunted, stumbling headfirst into what felt like a wall. She raised her amber orbs. "Going somewhere?" Kal said, amused. "I'm just -" Elena began, trailing off before looking away, muttering, "I just need to get away."

"Get away?" Kal inquired, motioning, prompting her to continue, "Yeah. I need to get away. I mean, there's really nothing left for me here. My family's gone. Dead." Kal's oceanic globes lit up as he tilted his head slightly, "Then come with me. You could leave all this behind you. You could start over. New life. What do you say?" He finished with a sly smile.

Elena's heart thundered against her chest as she considered his words. They sunk in and finally she thought, _maybe this is just what I need…_ She looked up at him and nodded. "Let's go." Elena said, her voice wavering with excitement and fear.

This was all new territory to her. Running away with a guy she just met. "I just need to get a few things first," She said, brushing past Kal. He turned and followed her down the street. She broke into a run, running to the Boardinghouse.

She carefully unlocked the door and slipped inside quietly, ushering Kal in after her. He emitted a low whistle, gazing around the living room. "Must be nice, living like this." He said, a hint of bitterness underlying his words.

"I'll just be a minute." Elena said, rushing up the stairs. She burst through the door of her room and began yanking drawers open, grabbing fistfuls of clothes and threw them on her bed as she flew towards her closet, pulling it open and grabbing a bag and begun tearing clothes off the hangers and tossed them haphazardly into the bag before dashing towards her bed, stuffing the clothing she'd dropped on the bed into the duffle.

Elena glanced at her dresser, swallowing thickly as she glanced at the mirror, noticing a picture she'd taped to it. A picture of her, her aunt Jenna, her parents and her brother, Jeremy. She walked over to the mirror, plucking the picture away, setting it in her dufflebag before zipping it up.

She shuffled downstairs, somber and sober. She found Kal in the study, raising a crystalline decanter of bourbon to his nose before setting it down, wincing. "Strong stuff," He mused, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Ready to go?" He asked turning to face her.

Elena nodded hesitantly. "Yeah." He strolled over to her, slipping his arm around her waist casually. He guided her to the door, just as Damon Salvatore sauntered through it. "And just where do you think you're going?" He said so nonchalantly and playfully. As though the three of them were close friends.

"I'm leaving, Damon." Elena said in glacial tones. "Don't bother stopping me." Damon snorted, "Of course, I'll stop you. You're acting like an idiot." "Well, I do try my hardest to be like you." Elena quipped shoving past him. "Hey," Damon started, grasping her arm.

Kal's hand clamped down on Damon's wrist. "She said she wants to leave. And it'd be in your best interest to let her do what she wants." He said, icicles dripping from his words. "That so?" Damon said in similarly frosty tones.

"Yeah. So, back the hell _off_." Kal said, shoving Damon aside roughly before grasping Elena's forearm, hauling her out of the Boardinghouse. Elena stumbled and staggered as she attempted to keep up with Kal, occasionally tripping and lurching forward.

But his grasp on her never loosened as he dragged her into town. He relinquished his grip and marched over to a motorcycle parked at the curb. Elena felt her heart drop into her stomach as she gazed at the metal and chrome painted black beast.

She'd never ridden on a motorcycle. Her parents forbade it. "Two wheeled death machines," her father called them. But, Kal swung his long leg across it and settled into the seat and looked at her expectantly.

Swallowing hard, Elena gathered up all her courage and tried her hardest to put her father's lecture about the majority of motorcycle accidents and deaths out of her mind. She clambered onto the back of the bike gracelessly.

Elena could practically _see_ Kal rolling his eyes as he pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and slid them on. "_Elena!_" The petite brunette jolted, nearly falling off the motorcycle backwards. She glanced up, seeing Stefan rushing towards her.

"Stefan," She began, her words holding a hint of warning. "Don't try to stop me." Stefan halted in his tracks, a frown creasing his forehead. "Elena," he said softly, "What're you doing?" "What does it look like I'm doing, Stefan?" Elena replied, shaking her head, "I can't stay here. Everywhere I look, I see them."

Her voice cracked as her sorrel spheres brimmed with tears. "I can't. I can't be here anymore, Stefan. And if you cared about me at all, you'll respect that." Stefan looked away, swallowing thickly, before nodding, his malachite hues welling with tears. "Alright," he said hoarsely, "I get it."

"What I don't get, is why you're all so _stupid._" A voice as cold as an arctic wind hissed. Elena shook her head and turned to face Damon, "Damon, please." She said in quivering tones. "Please, what?" He exploded, "Please don't kill him?" He jabbed a finger towards Kal. Kal's eyebrows elevated as he stood, climbing off the bike. "Kill me?" He said in amused tones.

"Yeah," Damon said, stepping towards the taller male. Kal's lips curled into a smile before he burst out laughing. "Yeah," He nodded quickly, "Okay. Give me your best shot." He spread his arms in an almost welcoming manner. Damon blinked at him, "I'm sorry but are you stupid? Or do you just have a _death wish?_"

"Kal, don't!" Elena called. "Come on," Kal poked Damon's shoulder, "I thought you were gonna kill me or teach me a lesson?" Damon's crystalline oculars narrowed; "Don't tempt me." Kal's face broke into a wide grin. "That's what I thought." He said smugly.

He turned to walk away as Damon hefted a metal baseball bat. He lunged forward, bringing the bat up in a high arc before striking Kal across the back of his head. Kal barely budged a muscle as the bat shattered, shards flying everywhere.

He blinked before turning around, annoyance etched into his handsome features. Damon stared at the handle of the bat bewildered and shaken. "What the hell…?" Kal whirled, raking his fingers through his charcoal locks, his sensuous mouth twisting in anger.

"Did you just take a cheap shot at me?" His words hung in the air, soft, cold and frightening. Damon threw the baseball bat handle aside lunging forward, striking Kal in the abdomen with his fist before staggering back, a sound not unlike ceramic shattering resounding through the silent street, a mixture of curses and agonized sounds spilling from his lips as he cradled his hand.

Elena shook herself, looking around. She saw that everyone had frozen, gaping at the scene unfolding between Kal and Damon. Elena caught Stefan's eye and mouthed, "_Do something! Please!_" Stefan nodded in acknowledgement before stepping forward.

Kal grasped Damon by his shirt, hissing, "You _really_ should've taken my advice." He lifted Damon off his feet before hurling him away, sending the vampire soaring before coming down with a _thud_. Kal stepped towards him as Stefan reached for his wrist, "He's down! _Enough._" The younger Salvatore called.

Kal yanked away from him, shooting him a warning glance. "_Kal, stop!_" Elena cried, leaping in front of him. "You don't get it, do you?" Kal said, shaking his head. "Some guys… just gotta learn a lesson." "And he's learned his. Please, don't do this. I'll do anything." Elena breathed, swallowing thickly. "Anything?" Kal tilted his head, eyebrows raised. "Like what?" He asked.

Elena faltered; opening and closing her mouth before shaking her head silently. "Then you're useless to me." Kal said coldly, stepping around her. Elena's mouth fell open as he strode over to Damon, clutching the vampire's shirt, lifting him before slamming him back to the ground.

A low grunt of pain escaped Damon's lips as his body collided with the pavement hard. His vision whited out as Kal loomed over him. Kal reached for the vampire's throat as something collided with him roughly.

He turned, mild amusement flickering across his face. Stefan struggled against the taller boy. Kal gazed down at him, mirth etched into his features. He grasped Stefan's throat, his knuckles turning white. He flung the youngest Salvatore away with a flick of his wrist.

He dashed towards the young vampire, springing into the air, drawing his fist back before punching Stefan. The sound of Kal's fist colliding with Stefan's face echoed through the town squared, sounding not unlike a sonic boom. Stefan collapsed, unconscious.

Damon forced himself off the ground, groaning painfully. "Stefan…" He began hoarsely. He started towards his little brother when Kal dropped his shoulder and hurtled towards him. When Kal hit him, it felt like he'd been speared by a brick wall.

"I think you should stay down," Kal placed his hand on Damon's shoulder, forcing him to the ground, face first. "Believe me; it's in your best interests." He glanced between the Salvatore brothers.

Kal looked at Elena, who'd dropped to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. He strode over to her, grasping her elbow, he yanked her to her feet and walked towards his motorcycle. "Let's go," He said brusquely.

Elena glanced back at Stefan and Damon, torn between wanting to be reckless and run off with Kal. And staying behind. Damon raised his head weakly, croaking out, "Elena, don't…" A wall came down behind Elena's eyes before she followed Kal, climbing onto the back of the bike.

She slipped her arms around his waist as he kick-started the motorcycle. Soon, they were speeding away from Mystic Falls. Elena buried her face in Kal's shoulder. Partly to shield her face from the wind. And partly to hide her tears as she left behind everything she's ever known.


End file.
